WOULD SONATA OWNERS BUY ANOTHER HYUNDAI
Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 29
From: Clearwater, FL
Before I modded my Mustang, I got 26 MPG interstate--granted, that was short-shifting, and honestly it was not very fun, but it can be done. I got into the Sonata because of the gas mileage (traded in a F150 Supercrew 5.4), but it is not as good as I feel it should be. If the car is rated 20-30 MPG, I would expect 23-24 MPG mixed driving. Also, as I stated, I am more interested in having more power, and being able to get the power to the ground. I would rather get 18 MPG in a Mustang GT, G35, or G8 GT than 20 MPG in a Sonata. Or for that matter, the Genesis 4.6. That is just my opinion. I am the kind of guy that enjoys spirited driving every now and again, and I am willing to sacrifice economy.
Junior Member
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2
Xg350l
This car served its purpose...a great car till things started to go bad....I still don't like the fact that all the dash lights are a different shade of blue & that the brake pedal is a bit to high. Been a good running car but lately, all the little brackets started rusting away and things started falling off. The things I'v changed are transmission cooler & new bracket, power steering hose, horn brackets are gone. Recently I replaced the timing belt, 2nd time now, once at 80,000 and once at 160,000 what a job. The front left wheel bearing has been replaced by the dealer 3 times and the left rear wheel bearing was replaced last month. Its just little things but they all add up. The car has 177,000 on it now and I never got that much mileage from a car before and it still rides smooth and is still quite unbelievably peppy (27 mpg) and it still has the original spark plugs in it..I'll be changing them shortly. I'm shooting for 200,000 miles ,hope I make it. However,I will most likely not buy another Hyundai.
Last edited by RodJournal; Jun 1, 2011 at 08:31 AM. Reason: more information
Junior Member
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2
From: iowa
Hi, I'm a newbie here to the forum. Own a 2002 Sonata LX with 130,000 miles. Car still rides sound and quiet. Just put new wheel bearings, struts, and tires on and MAN!...it rides smooth as silk. I just bought a 2008 Acura TL and yes, its a great car as you would expect....but my Sonatas suspension actually rides quieter and smoother. I think the V-6 that it has in it is still pretty peppy, as a friend of mine once said, it has a "growl" when you step on it. I bought it new because of the "Jaguar" look to it but wish I had an 07 or 08 now.
Plan to keep this awhile, still dependable. My only gripes of the 02 Sonata are the HARD leather seats and positioning of the cruise control button.
Plan to keep this awhile, still dependable. My only gripes of the 02 Sonata are the HARD leather seats and positioning of the cruise control button.
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 4
I bought a 2009 gls sonata new about 2 years and 10 months ago, have 40,000 miles on it, never had any problem, just routine care. The only thing that bums me out is the low resale value, but it did go up slightly in the past few years, I probably would buy another, it's been very dependable.
Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 64
No. Not really because of the car or the brand, but my '05 XG350 is too new for me to work on myself and I can't afford the maintenance on it. Our next vehicle will be older. Possibly a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Maybe something older. There is more things to maintain on them, but I can afford to do them. Guess I'm getting old!
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 21
Maybe. Not likely to buy new again though for a few reasons.
First off, "best warranty in America" is BS.
My '09 Sonata developed a rear brake squeal that came and went for quite some time. I finally noticed smoke coming off the rear driver side as I was sitting at a light on a highway off ramp.
I drive it home, jacked it up and had a look. 1 of the pads was gone. it would have been metal to metal VERY soon. So, I got on the phone to the dealer and their answer...."pads are a normal wear item, not covered by warranty". I explained that it was abnormal wear and that the other side showed NO wear, as it should on a rear pad. She explained that since it had over 12K miles they could not cover it.
So, I went to napa, bought a set of pads for 22 dollars and put them on. I then brought it to the dealer and talked to the service manager.
He told me that it was common for there to be a burr on the caliper that causes it to drag. He said he would gladly fix it and only charge me a "brake cleaning" fee or something like that and that it would be about 45-50 bucks. I explained to him that that was a crock. He had a defective product and would not cover it under warranty. He still wouldn't budge on it. So, I let him know he'd never get another chance to touch my car and hell would freeze before I bought another Hyundai there.
This is a text book example of how not to run a business. You let a customer get that pissed off over 50 bucks?
Why is it I get the feeling that if I was in a Honda dealer with this problem with my Accord, they would handle it.
2nd reason is, I'm a cheap SOB that can't stand the thought of buying something that will depreciate 50% before I know what happens.
I knew this fact before buying, but, I honestly was impressed with the "best warranty in America". Now I realize that warranty ain't worth the paper it's written on.l
I will definitely consider used Hyundais in the future. Probably wouldn't buy another 5 speed though as my current one has 1 very annoying characteristic. It is the fussiest launching manual I have every driven. Smoothly launching it takes more concentration than it should. And it's not just that it is a small 4 cylinder. My '91 accord could be launched without thinking at all. Don't know if it's the clutch linkage or a complete lack of off idle torque, but, it is annoying.
First off, "best warranty in America" is BS.
My '09 Sonata developed a rear brake squeal that came and went for quite some time. I finally noticed smoke coming off the rear driver side as I was sitting at a light on a highway off ramp.
I drive it home, jacked it up and had a look. 1 of the pads was gone. it would have been metal to metal VERY soon. So, I got on the phone to the dealer and their answer...."pads are a normal wear item, not covered by warranty". I explained that it was abnormal wear and that the other side showed NO wear, as it should on a rear pad. She explained that since it had over 12K miles they could not cover it.
So, I went to napa, bought a set of pads for 22 dollars and put them on. I then brought it to the dealer and talked to the service manager.
He told me that it was common for there to be a burr on the caliper that causes it to drag. He said he would gladly fix it and only charge me a "brake cleaning" fee or something like that and that it would be about 45-50 bucks. I explained to him that that was a crock. He had a defective product and would not cover it under warranty. He still wouldn't budge on it. So, I let him know he'd never get another chance to touch my car and hell would freeze before I bought another Hyundai there.
This is a text book example of how not to run a business. You let a customer get that pissed off over 50 bucks?
Why is it I get the feeling that if I was in a Honda dealer with this problem with my Accord, they would handle it.
2nd reason is, I'm a cheap SOB that can't stand the thought of buying something that will depreciate 50% before I know what happens.
I knew this fact before buying, but, I honestly was impressed with the "best warranty in America". Now I realize that warranty ain't worth the paper it's written on.l
I will definitely consider used Hyundais in the future. Probably wouldn't buy another 5 speed though as my current one has 1 very annoying characteristic. It is the fussiest launching manual I have every driven. Smoothly launching it takes more concentration than it should. And it's not just that it is a small 4 cylinder. My '91 accord could be launched without thinking at all. Don't know if it's the clutch linkage or a complete lack of off idle torque, but, it is annoying.
Super Moderator
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 5,297
From: Cyberspace
No, it's not BS.
As we told you a year ago (https://www.hyundaiforum.com/forum/h...314/#post30208) brakes are a wear item. Yes, if they failed in fewer than 12k miles it would be a warranty item but it didn't. I understand it sucks but that's part of car ownership. Owning a vehicle requires maintenance and INSPECTIONS. Check your owners manual and you will see that the brakes are to be inspected every 7,500 miles or every 6 months.
You said you had brake noise "for quite some time." In the post from a year ago you said it was for 6 months. Why didn't you have the brakes checked when you first heard the noise? That's not Hyundai's fault, that's YOUR FAULT for not maintaining the car properly.
So bottom line: worn brakes = wear item, not warranty.
No, it's a text book example of an owner not properly taking care of their car and blaming the dealership for their own improper maintenance.
Get over it. ALL cars depreciate.
Yes, it is if you maintain the vehicle properly. You didn't. Hyundai warranties defects, not owner neglect.
My '09 Sonata developed a rear brake squeal that came and went for quite some time. I finally noticed smoke coming off the rear driver side as I was sitting at a light on a highway off ramp.
I drive it home, jacked it up and had a look. 1 of the pads was gone. it would have been metal to metal VERY soon. So, I got on the phone to the dealer and their answer...."pads are a normal wear item, not covered by warranty". I explained that it was abnormal wear and that the other side showed NO wear, as it should on a rear pad. She explained that since it had over 12K miles they could not cover it.
I drive it home, jacked it up and had a look. 1 of the pads was gone. it would have been metal to metal VERY soon. So, I got on the phone to the dealer and their answer...."pads are a normal wear item, not covered by warranty". I explained that it was abnormal wear and that the other side showed NO wear, as it should on a rear pad. She explained that since it had over 12K miles they could not cover it.
So, I went to napa, bought a set of pads for 22 dollars and put them on. I then brought it to the dealer and talked to the service manager.
He told me that it was common for there to be a burr on the caliper that causes it to drag. He said he would gladly fix it and only charge me a "brake cleaning" fee or something like that and that it would be about 45-50 bucks. I explained to him that that was a crock. He had a defective product and would not cover it under warranty. He still wouldn't budge on it. So, I let him know he'd never get another chance to touch my car and hell would freeze before I bought another Hyundai there.
He told me that it was common for there to be a burr on the caliper that causes it to drag. He said he would gladly fix it and only charge me a "brake cleaning" fee or something like that and that it would be about 45-50 bucks. I explained to him that that was a crock. He had a defective product and would not cover it under warranty. He still wouldn't budge on it. So, I let him know he'd never get another chance to touch my car and hell would freeze before I bought another Hyundai there.
So bottom line: worn brakes = wear item, not warranty.
No, it's a text book example of an owner not properly taking care of their car and blaming the dealership for their own improper maintenance.
Get over it. ALL cars depreciate.
Yes, it is if you maintain the vehicle properly. You didn't. Hyundai warranties defects, not owner neglect.
Last edited by NovaResource; Aug 19, 2011 at 01:19 PM.
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 21
Most things on a car, all cars, are wear items. Some wear at higher rates than others.
My failing to investigate the problem sooner is irrelevant. I suppose you think that all car owners should bring them in every 7500 miles for a brake inspection. Sure makes service departments happy.
A rear pad completely wearing out in 25K of fairly easy driving, while the pads on the other side show negligible wear, is the result of an obvious defect. It is not, by even the wildest stretch, anything resembling normal wear.
Therefore it is a manufacturing defect and should have been covered. Period.
And yes, I did ignore it longer than I should have. I just figured it was nothing more than a squeaky pad, which is something I've seen before and no big deal. Fortunately I did catch it before it was metal to metal or I would have been buying a new rotor. I have kept an eye on it closely since. Fortunately whatever burr was causing it seems to be gone now. Probably knocked it off when I replaced the pads.
I will be happy if this is the only time I have to test the warranty, especially since it was such a cheap fix. I still think the dealer was dumb to not eat something which would have costed him about a half hour of a tech's time and maybe 20 dollars in parts.
Had I been a regular new car buyer, his actions would have cost him a future sale. I night be a cheap SOB, but, I tend to be a loyal customer when I feel I am receiving good service.
But, I'm not. Odds are pretty good I'll never buy another new car. If I do, it won't be from this dealer. I've been tempted to write the dealer owner, but, not concerned enough about it to do so. Maybe I will some day rather than just ranting here to strangers.
My failing to investigate the problem sooner is irrelevant. I suppose you think that all car owners should bring them in every 7500 miles for a brake inspection. Sure makes service departments happy.
A rear pad completely wearing out in 25K of fairly easy driving, while the pads on the other side show negligible wear, is the result of an obvious defect. It is not, by even the wildest stretch, anything resembling normal wear.
Therefore it is a manufacturing defect and should have been covered. Period.
And yes, I did ignore it longer than I should have. I just figured it was nothing more than a squeaky pad, which is something I've seen before and no big deal. Fortunately I did catch it before it was metal to metal or I would have been buying a new rotor. I have kept an eye on it closely since. Fortunately whatever burr was causing it seems to be gone now. Probably knocked it off when I replaced the pads.
I will be happy if this is the only time I have to test the warranty, especially since it was such a cheap fix. I still think the dealer was dumb to not eat something which would have costed him about a half hour of a tech's time and maybe 20 dollars in parts.
Had I been a regular new car buyer, his actions would have cost him a future sale. I night be a cheap SOB, but, I tend to be a loyal customer when I feel I am receiving good service.
But, I'm not. Odds are pretty good I'll never buy another new car. If I do, it won't be from this dealer. I've been tempted to write the dealer owner, but, not concerned enough about it to do so. Maybe I will some day rather than just ranting here to strangers.